Booster assembly for low pressure pump



Feb; 1968 W. V- NELSON ETAL BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FOR LOW PRESSURE PUMP FiledSept. 23, 1966 FIG. 6

FIG. 4

INVENTORS. WALTER NELSON WILLIAM H. MARTlNSEN ATTORNEY United StatesPatent M 3,367,269 BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FOR LOW PRESSURE PUMP Walter V.Nelson, 680 Maple St., and William H. Martinsen, 488 W. 6th Ave., bothof Junction City, Greg.

Filed Sept. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 581,518 6 Claims. (Cl. 1035) Thisinvention relates in general to water supply pumps, and, moreparticularly, to pumps for water supply systems in areas where a centralwater supply system is not available and where the water must beobtained from a well or similar supply source.

More specifically, the invention relates to such water supply systemsfor individual homes and farms where the water is required forirrigation or garden sprinkling as well as for use inside the home. Forhousehold use it is desirable to have the water available at a higherpressure than is necessary for irrigating or garden use, while, on theother hand, a greater flow volume of water is generally required duringsuch times as irrigating or sprinkling is taking place than is requiredordinarily for household use. Thus a satisfactory and efiicient watersystem in such cases should be able to supply a larger volume of waterat lower pressure part of the time and a smaller volume at higherpressure during the remainder of the time. The problem has been to takecare of both requirements effectively at the lowest cost and with asingle pump.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby a lessexpensive low pressure pump may be used to supply water at higherpressure but less volume part of the time in addition to supplying thewater at lower normal pressure the rest of the time, without undue wearon the part of the pump and its motor.

A related object is to provide a booster assembly for use in connectionwith a low pressure water pump system which will function, whenever sodesired, to reduce the output while proportionately increasing thepressure of the water supplied by the system, without changing the speedof the pump or the load on the pump.

A further and specific object of the invention is to provide a dualpressure attachment in a low pressure pump supply system which may bequickly and easily reversed from one position to another, thus from lowto high pressure position, or vice versa, merely through manual movementof a convenient operating lever, and without the addition or removal ofany members or parts in the system.

An additional object is to provide a dual pressure water supply system,combining a low pressure pump, a booster assembly for the pressureoutput, and a pressurized supply tank, so arranged that no priming ofthe pump is ever required, and with no possibility of the pump evergoing dry even if the water in the well, from which the system draws thewater, becomes exhausted.

The manner in which the above objects and other advantages are attainedwith the present invention, the construction of the booster assembly,and the manner of operation of the assembly in combination with theother elements in the water supply system will be readily understoodfrom the following brief description and explanation with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

The drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the entire pump supply system withthe booster assembly shown in place as forming part thereof;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation, drawn to a larger scale, of the boosterbox, showing the members of the booster assembly which are mountedtherein;

3,367,269 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section on line3.3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section on line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the valves in the airline leading from the booster box to the water storage tank; and

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 2 drawn to a smaller scale.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the reference character P indicates astandard centrifugal type pump suitable for low pressure water lines,for example 1 /2 H.P. irrigation pump, which is driven by a motor M.Water is drawn from a supply well (not shown) up through the pipe 10and, after passing through the booster box B (later de scribed), passesinto the pump through the pipe 11. The pump P delivers water to the pipe12 and thence through the pipe 13 and into the water tank T underpressure. Water is withdrawn from the tank, either for household use orfor irrigation and sprinkling use, through the outlet pipe 14. The pipe12 leading from the pump P is also connected to a branch pipe 15, andwhen this branch pipe 15 is not closed off a portion of the waterdelivered by the pump P, instead of passing into the tank T, passes backinto the booster box B in the manner and for the purpose presentlyexplained.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the booster box B consists of a closedrectangular housing having top, bottom and four sidewalls. The bottomwall of the box is formed with an inlet opening on the outside of whichis an integral coupling element 16 to which the pipe 10, which leadsfrom the well, is secured. An internal pipe 10' is connected with thepipe 10 through this coupling 16 and extends up into the booster boxterminating about two-thirds of the distance between the bottom and thetop of the box and carries a hinged check valve 17 which, as apparentfrom FIG. 2, enables the water to be drawn up through the connectedpipes 10 and 10 into the box B but does not permit reverse flow backdown through these plpes.

The booster box B is formed with a stationary composite housing sleeveformed of two aligned portions 18 and 18' extending through and integralwith opposite sides of the box respectively. The inner ends of thesealigned housing sleeve portions are spaced a short distance apartleaving an open passageway 19 between them. The first portion 18 (orleft hand portion of the composite housing sleeve as viewed in FIG. 2),terminates in an internally threaded nipple at its outer end outside thebox B. This provides the connection for the pipe 11, which pipe leads tothe pump, as shown in FIG. 1.

The second portion 18 of the housing sleeve leads at its outer end to aboss 29 on the outside of the box B, which boss has a larger interiordiameter. The two portions 18 and 18 of the housing sleeve in the box Bhave the same interior diameter and thus constitute two separated andaxially aligned sections of a composite housing sleeve.

A hollow valve member 20 shaped as shown in FIG. 2, having a cylindricalouter surface, is mounted in the composite housing sleeve 18, 18 forpartial rotation. A portion of the interior channel through this valvemember 20 is so formed as to constitute a venturi tube 21 leading to thedischarging end of the member 20 and thus leading to the pipe 11 whichin turn leads to the pump P. The wall of this venturi portion of thevalve member 20 is formed with a pair of diametrically opposite ports 22(see also FIG. 3), which, when the valve member 20 is rotated to alimited extent in one direction, are in registra tion with a pair ofports 23 respectively in the housing sleeve 18, but which ports 23 areclosed of1 when the member 20 is rotated to a limited extent in theopposite 3 direction. The last mentioned rotated position of the valvemember 20 is illustrated in FIG. 2.

The interior channel of the valve member 20 near the opposite end has acylindrical chamber 24 which is closed at the outer end by a removable,threaded plug 25, and which has a reduced diameter wall portion 26 whichportion is internally threaded to provide a mounting for a removablenozzle 27. The nozzle 27 extends forwardly into a large diameter portionof the interior channel in the valve member 20 ahead of the venturi tubeportion 21, as shown in FIG. 2.

The valve member 20 has four open ports 30 (see also FIG. 4) spaced 90apart, which are all in registration with the spacing 19 between theinner ends of the two portions 18 and 18' of the housing sleeve, andthus the interior channel of the valve member 20 is always incommunication with the interior of the box B, the water passing from thebox B through the ports 30 around the nozzle 27 into the venturi tubeportion of the channel in the valve member 20 and thus through the pipe11 to the pump at all times when the pump is in operation.

The portion 18 of the housing sleeve for the valve member 20 has anintegral inlet pipe 31 (see FIG. arranged at 90 with respect to the axisof the housing sleeve and leading through another wall of the box B.This inlet pipe 31 has an internally threaded nipple 32 at its outer endon the outside of the box B with which the pipe 15 (FIGS. 1 and 5) isconnected. The wall of the cylindrical chamber 24 (FIG. 2) of the valvemember 20 has a port 33 which registers with the inlet pipe 31 when thevalve member 20 is in the position shown in FIG. 2, but the inlet pipe31 is closed off by the valve member 20 when the valve member is rotatedfrom this position.

The valve member 20 has an annular shoulder 34 (FIG. 2) which isreceived in the boss 29 and has an outer end portion 35 whichaccommodates the plug 25. A ring 36, secured on the boss 29 by suitablescrews, prevents the valve member 20 from being drawn out of its housingsleeve, and a sealing gasket 37 is placed between the ring 36 and theouter face of the shoulder 34. An operating handle 38 has a bottom ring39 which fits over the end 35 of the valve member 20 and which issecured thereto by a set screw 40. A pair of stops, one of which isshown at 41 in FIG. 2, limit the movement of the operating handle 38,and therewith the rotation of the valve member 20, to 90.

The valve member 20 is formed of suitable metal, preferably bronze, aswell as the removable nozzle 27, and the valve member 20 is providedwith O-rings 42 to aid in preventing any possible water leakage from thebox B around the valve member.

The operation of the booster assembly and of the entire pump system asthus far described will now be briefly explained. Let it be assumed thatthe valve member 20 has been set by the operating handle 38 into theposition illustrated in FIG. 2, which position provides for the deliveryof water from the system at a higher pressure than would normally beprovided by the pump without other aid, but delivery of water in lowervolume. With the operation of the pump the water is sucked up throughthe well pipe and the connected pipe 10', past the check valve 17, intothe box B, thence through the space opening 19 between the ends of thehousing sleeve portions 18 and 18, through the ports 30 of the valvemember 20 around the nozzle 27, through the channel in the valve member20 and through the pipe 11 to the pump P. The pump delivers the waterthrough the pipe 12, a portion, but not all of which water is deliveredthrough the pipe 13 into the tank T.

However, a portion of the water is also delivered through the branchpipe since the port 33 of the valve member is now in registration withthe pipe 31 and pipe 15 and this water passes through the nozzle 27forming a jet directed into the venturi tube portion of the valve member20. This boosts the output of the pump in the well-known manner andcauses the pump to function as a higher pressure jet pump. However,while the output from the pump is boosted in this manner the amount ofwater actually delivered into the tank T is less due to the fact that aconsiderable portion of this water passes back through the branch pipe15 to produce the nozzle jet.

Next, let it be assumed that the valve member 20 is rotated to set thesystem for supplying water at a lower pressure but in greater volume forirrigating use. The rotation of the valve member 20 now closes thebranch pipe 15 and also renders the nozzle 27 inoperative. At the sametime the rotation of the valve member brings the ports 22 of the valvemember into registration with the ports 23 of the housing sleeve portion18, affording greater access into the valve channel from the box B. Allthe water drawn into the pump is now delivered into the tank, thusresulting in a greater volume of final output but under lower pressure.

The operation of the pump is controlled by a pressure switch on the tankT diagrammatically indicated at 43 in FIG. 1. The pressure switch is setfor the higher pres sure at which the water for use in the house isdesired. The pump will operate continually therefore if the water isbeing used for irrigation at the same rate at which it is beingfurnished under the low pressure system. When the water is no longerbeing used for irrigation or sprinkling, the pump continues operatinguntil the pressure of the tank reaches the desired level (for example 65pounds p.s.i.) at which pressure the pump then automatically will beshut ofi.

The top of the tank T constitutes an air chamber normally containing airunder pressure. The top of the booster box B has an air vent 44 (FIG. 2)which leads into an air valve housing 45. An air valve member 46 (seealso FIG. 7) allows air to pass from the box B and valve housing 45through a pipe 47 to the tank T (see also FIG. 6). A valve 48 permitsair to enter the tank T until there is maximum air pressure set uptherein. In the form of this valve as illustrated in FIG. 6, the valvehas a ball member which rolls by gravity down a short inclined channeluntil it is stopped by a pin 50. The air line 47 also has an externalair valve 51 enabling outside air to be drawn into the line and into thetank T whenever the air pressure drops to a low level.

The check valve 17 for the pipe 10 in the box B is high enough up in thebox so that the pump P will not go dry even if there is a leak in thepipe to the well. The outlet 14 from the tank T is above the inlet 13.The pump P is always full of water and thus no priming of the pump isever required.

The nozzle 27 (FIG. 2) is readily removed from its place in the valvemember 20 by removing the plug 25 and inserting a suitable tool toengage notches in the back wall of the nozzle, and nozzles withdifferent size interior channels may be used as desired.

Various minor modifications would be possible in different parts of thebooster assembly without departing from the principle of the invention,but the construction as herein illustrated and described has been foundhighly satisfactory in actual practice and is therefore regarded as thepreferred form for carrying out the invention.

In a typical example in which this booster assembly has been installedon a small farm a moderate piece 1 /2 horsepower low pressure irrigationpump was utilized which had been capable of supplying water forirrigation use at the rate of 1800 gallons per hour but only under 45pounds pressure which was not as high as was desired for household use.The connecting of the booster box into the water system in the mannerillustrated made it possible to have the water furnished also at adesired pressure of 65 pounds when needed. While the volume output atthe higher pressure was about half the output from the same pump at thelower pressure, the reduced volume at the high pressure was more thanwas needed for the household use. This example is mentioned only by wayof illustration.

We claim:

1. In a water supply system in which a motor-driven pump operates todraw Water from a source and to deliver the water under pressure, abooster assembly for optionally increasing the pump discharge pressureincluding an enclosed suction fiow box interposed in the suction linebetween the Water source and the pump, an outlet for said suction linelocated within said box, a check valve in said suction line outlet, anoutlet port for said box connected with the suction side of the pump, avalve housing in said box connected at one end to said box outlet port,a valve member mounted in saidhousing in said box for rotation on asubstantially horizontal axis, said valve member having an interiorchannel, a venturi-shaped portion in said channel discharging into saidbox outlet port, said housing and said valve member provided with anopen passageway leading from the interior of said box into said valvemember channel at the intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, anozzle mounted in said channel With its discharging tip extending intothe intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, a chamber in saidchannel behind said nozzle, a nozzle supply pipe leading into said boxand terminating in said valve housing at the wall of said channelchamber, an inlet port in said wall of said channel chamber adapted tobe brought into registration with the termination of said nozzle supplypipe when said valve member is in one position, a discharge line leadingfrom said pump to a storage tank, a branch pipe leading from said discharge line to said nozzle supply pipe in said box, and manual controlmeans on said box connected to said valve member for rotating said valvemember selectively either into a first position in which said inlet portof said valve channel chamber will be in registration with said nozzlesupply pipe, or into a second position in which said valve will closeoff said nozzle supply pipe outlet, whereby the moving of said valveinto said first position with the Water supply system in operation willproduce a jet effect by said nozzle thereby increasing the pumpdischarge pressure, and the moving of said valve into said secondposition will render said nozzle inactive and discontinue the pressureboosting jet.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 with the wall of said valvemember in the venturi-shaped portion of said channel provided with apair of diametrically opposite inlet ports, and with said housing forsaid valve member having a corresponding pair of openings so positionedas to be in registration With said latter mentioned ports respectivelywhen said valve member is rotated to said second position to close offsaid nozzle supply pipe.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 with said suction line outlet insaid box located a distance above said valve member and said housing forsaid valve member.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 with an air vent in the top ofsaid box, an air chamber and valve connected with said vent, an air lineconnecting said air vent chamber with the upper portion of said storagetank, an air inlet valve leading into said tank from said air line, andan outside air inlet valve leading into said air line.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 with said nozzle removablymounted in said channel of said valve member and with a removable plugforming the end Wall of said chamber in said valve channel opposite saidnozzle.

6. In a Water supply system in which a motor-driven pump operates todraw Water from a source and to deliver the Water under pressure, abooster assembly for optionally increasing the pump discharge pressureincluding an enclosed suction flow box interposed in the suction linebetween the water source and the pump, an outlet for said suction linefrom said source located Within said box, a check valve in said suctionline, an outlet port for said box, said box outlet port connected withthe suction side of the pump, a valve housing in said box connected atone end to said box outlet port, a valve member movably mounted withinsaid housing, said valve member having an interior channel, aventuri-shaped portion in said channel discharging into said box outletport, said housing and said valve member provided with an openpassageway leading from the interior of said box into said valve memberchannel at the intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, a nozzleremovably mounted in said channel with is discharging tip extending intothe intake section of said venturi-shaped portion, a chamber in saidchannel behind said nozzle, a removable plug forming the closure outletend of said chamber, a nozzle supply pipe leading into said box andterminating in said valve housing at the Wall of said channel chamber,an inlet port in said wall of said channel chamber adapted to be broughtinto registration with the termination of said nozzle supply pipe whensaid valve member is in one position, said valve member closing oit saidnozzle supply pipe when said valve member is moved to a second position,a discharge line leading from said pump to a storage tank, a branch pipeleading from said discharge line to said nozzle supply pipe in said box,the wall of said valve member at the venturi-shaped portion of saidchannel provided with a pair of diametrically opposite inlet ports, saidhousing for said valve member having a corresponding pair of openings sopositioned as to be in registration with said latter mentioned portsrespectively When said valve member is moved to said second position,said suction line outlet located in said box a distance above said valvemember and said housing for said valve member, an air vent in the top ofsaid box, air valve means connected with said air vent, and manualcontrol means on said box connected to said valve member for moving saidvalve member selectively either into said first mentioned position,whereby the moving of said valve member into said first position willcause a jet ettect to be produced by the discharge of water through saidnozzle and increase the pump discharge pressure and the moving of saidvalve member into said second position will render said nozzle inactiveand discontinue the boosting of said pump discharge pressure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,289,772 7/1942 Gilman et al1035 X 2,425,952 8/ 1947 Samelson 1()35 X 2,519,158 8/1950 Symmons137-604 X 2,615,397 10/1952 Conery 1035 2,634,680 4/1953 Schleyer 10352,642,813 6/1953 Woodruff et al 103-271 2,794,447 6/ 1957 Spitz 103272 X2,990,778 7/1961 Deters 1035 X 3,225,696 12/1965 Brigman 1035 X3,316,846 5/1967 Bender 10341 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

WARREN KRAUSS, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IN WHICH A MOTOR-DRIVEN PUMP OPERATES TODRAW WATER FROM A SOURCE AND TO DELIVER THE WATER PRESSURE, A BOOSTERASSEMBLY FOR OPTIONALLY INCREASING THE PUMP DISCHARGE PRESSURE INCLUDINGAN ENCLOSED SUCTION FLOW BOX INTERPOSED IN THE SUCTION LINE BETWEEN THEWATER SOURCE AND THE PUMP, AN OUTLET FOR SAID SUCTION LINE LOCATEDWITHIN SAID BOX, A CHECK VALVE IN SAID SUCTION LINE OUTLET, AND OUTLETPORT FOR SAID BOX CONNECTED WITH THE SUCTION SIDE OF THE PUMP, A VALVEHOUSING IN SAID BOX CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID BOX OUTLET PORT, AVALVE MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING IN SAID BOX FOR ROTATION ON ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING AN INTERIORCHANNEL, A VENTURI-SHAPED PORTION IN SAID CHANNEL DISCHARGING INTO SAIDBOX OUTLET PORT, SAID HOUSING AND SAID VALVE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH ANOPEN PASSAGEWAY LEADING FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID BOX INTO SAID VALVEMEMBER CHANNEL AT THE INTAKE SECTION OF SAID VENTURI-SHAPED PORTION, ANOZZLE MOUNTED IN SAID CHANNEL WITH ITS DISCHARGING TIP EXTENDING INTOTHE INTAKE SECTION OF SAID VENTURI-SHAPED PORTION, A CHAMBER IN SAIDCHANNEL BEHIND SAID NOZZLE, A NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE LEADING INTO SAID BOXAND TERMINATING IN SAID VALVE HOUSING AT THE WALL OF SAID CHANNELCHAMBER, AN INLET PORT IN SAID WALL OF SAID CHANNEL CHAMBER ADAPTED TOBE BROUGHT INTO REGISTRATION WITH THE TERMINATION OF SAID NOZZLE SUPPLYPIPE WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS IN ONE POSITION, A DISCHARGE LINE LEADINGFROM SAID PUMP TO A STORAGE TANK, A BRANCH PIPE LEADING FROM SAIDDISCHARGE LINE TO SAID NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE IN SAID BOX, AND MANUALCONTROL MEANS ON SAID BOX CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR ROTATINGSAID VALVE MEMBER SELECTIVELY EITHER INTO A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAIDINLET PORT OF SAID VALVE CHANNEL CHAMBER WILL BE IN REGISTRATION WITHSAID NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE, OR INTO A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID VALVEWILL CLOSE OFF SAID NOZZLE SUPPLY PIPE OUTLET, WHEREBY THE MOVING OFSAID VALVE INTO SAID FIRST POSITION WITH THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM INOPERATION WILL PRODUCE A JET EFFECT BY SAID NOZZLE THEREBY INCREASINGTHE PUMP DISCHARGE PRESSURE, AND THE MOVING OF SAID VALVE INTO SAIDSECOND POSITION WILL RENDER SAID NOZZLE INACTIVE AND DISCONTINUE THEPRESSURE BOOSTING JET.